Power Play
by randomnessthoughts
Summary: What would happen if Buffy came to LA during the Angel episode Power Play? NOW COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Power Play Author: Edel Email: no1buffyangelfanhotmail.com Summary: What would happen if Buffy came to LA during the Angel episode Power Play? Distribution: my group: PG13-R Spoilers: Angel episodes "The Girl In Question", "Power Play" Disclaimer: If I owned them, Angel would be still human, and there would be no Nina! Feedback: Please! It's like chocolate... Dedication: To Leanne, for being a great help to me! Thanks hun! Author's note: I wasn't gonna write this until the end of June with exams and all, but when I saw Power Play on Tuesday, it made me feel ill. So, this is my medicine!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The door slammed shut behind her as Buffy Summers entered her apartment. As she shrugged out of the leather jacket she was wearing, his leather jacket, she reminded herself, she heard giggling coming from the living room.  
  
"That tickles!" Dawn said, as Buffy entered the room. She looked on in surprise. There, on the sofa, was Andrew painting Dawns nails. Dawn looked up and noticed her. "Buffy!" she said, getting up, and almost knocking the bottle of nail polish over in the process. She gave her sister a warm hug. A beep then sounded from the kitchen. "That'll be the popcorn," Dawn said, and walked into the kitchen. Buffy sat on the sofa, bewildered.  
  
"So, where have you been all week? You went out with your boyfriend and we didn't hear from you since," Andrew said, looking at her.  
  
"He's ex."  
  
"Oh?" Andrew questioned, getting more comfortable on the sofa. Buffy sighed.  
  
"When we were out dancing, I got a weird feeling, and then, he becomes all jumpy and says to me, 'lets go away for a few days', so the next thing I know, I'm in his chateau in France. He wanted me to stay longer, but I'd had enough. I don't know what I saw in him. It was like I was under a spell..."  
  
"Oh," Andrew sighed, a bit disappointed.  
  
"So, what's been happening while I was gone?" Buffy asked, wanting to change the subject.  
  
"Oh, you know, the usual," Andrew said, getting up, "I went to a dinner party with two beautiful girls, Angel and Spike dropped by, Dawn saw-"  
  
"What?! Hold up. Reverse there for a second. Did you just say Angel and Spike dropped by?" she exclaimed, as she too stood.  
  
"Yeah. They came here twice looking for you."  
  
"Twice?"  
  
"Yeah. And they went to the same club you did looking for you, but they said you disappeared." Buffy sank back into the sofa. You felt him, she thought. That's what that weird feeling was about. Suddenly, she sprang up from the sofa and ran to her room. Andrew followed her, and watched as she threw clothes from the closet and began filling a suitcase.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked. She stopped her packing frenzy, and glared at him.  
  
"What do it _look_ like I'm doing?" she snapped. He shrugged his shoulders, and followed her out of the room. She set her suitcase down beside the front door, just as Dawn walked in with 3 mugs of steaming hot chocolate and popcorn on a tray.  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice sounding slightly frantic. Buffy looked at her, and said,  
  
"LA." With that, she gave both of them a quick hug, and shut the door behind her. Dawn glared at Andrew, who cowered under her gaze.  
  
"What the _hell_ did you say to her?!"  
  
TBC...  
  
Sorry it's so short. Let me know what ya think of it! 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Power Play Author: Edel Email: no1buffyangelfanhotmail.com Summary: see other chapter... Distribution: my group: Girl In Question, Power Play  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Buffy tapped her foot impatiently as she waited in the queue boarding the jet. For a midnight flight, there were a lot of passengers. She sighed as she checked her watch again. How long did it take to board a plane? Finally, the air hostess smiled and allowed them to get on the plane. Seated beside the window, she watched as they took off. Yawning, she went to sleep.  
  
Half a day later, the jet touched down at LAX airport. Grabbing her suitcase, she hailed a cab. Luckily, as it was early in the morning, there was not much traffic, and she arrived at a hotel within minutes. When she got into her hotel room, she collapsed on the soft bed and dreamt. A few hours later, she got up and got ready. Stepping out of her cab, she paid the fare and turned to face the building. It was impressive, and she gazed up. She then entered Wolfram and Hart.  
  
The elevator dinged, and Buffy stepped out of it, looking confident. There were people everywhere, people on cell phones, people talking to people and demons. It was a bit overwhelming. She walked towards what she assumed were the doors of Angel's office. She glanced at the secretary as she passed the secretary's desk, and stopped. And backed up. And stared.  
  
"Harmony?" Buffy asked in disbelief.  
  
"Buffy, hi!" Harmony chirped, although there was nervousness in her eyes.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked her slowly, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"Oh. I'm Angel's secretary," Harmony answered with a slight nod. Buffy continued to look at her suspiciously. "Really, I am! Wes hired me."  
  
"Wes?" Buffy was becoming more and more confused. Maybe the evil law firm was getting to him too... "Wait, why am I not inclined to shove my stake through your heart?" she asked, showing Harmony the stake tucked into her stylish pants. Harmony's eyes widened in fear for a moment, then she relaxed.  
  
"Wait, I'm good now," Harmony assured her, "Angel's even got me off human blood." Buffy looked at her, still wary.  
  
"Okay... by the way, where is Angel?" she questioned.  
  
"Hmm... let me see," Harmony said, checking his appointments, then looked up with a bright smile, "Oh, he should be having sex with werewolf girl as we speak." For a moment, all Buffy could do was stare numbly at Harmony.  
  
"What?!" she yelled.  
  
"Shhh," Harmony whispered, as a few people turned to look in her direction. Buffy calmed down, then leaned in,  
  
"You have that in his appointments?"  
  
"Yup," Harmony answered. "I was going up to his room earlier with some blood-pigs blood of course," she hastily added, "and I heard the two of them at it like horny bunnies." Buffy looked at her weirdly. "Just sit down over there," she said, pointing to a plush leather sofa. "Do you want coffee?" she asked. Buffy sighed. She could feel him.  
  
"No, but I think I'll need it."  
  
He felt terrible. Guilty. He felt as if he had betrayed her, even though they were no longer together. She moved on, so should you, he thought. But why did this feel so wrong? Damn Nina. If only she hadn't got me drunk. It was you that got you drunk, an annoying voice said to him in his head. Angelus. Angel sighed. Well, wouldn't you have wanted to drink until there's no more if you saw her with him? I did see her with him, he said sarcastically, I was there, remember? How could I forget? Angel thought dryly. Then, a hand snaked up his chest, and he knew Nina was awake. Great, Angelus thought. Then, he felt weird, like there were butterflies in his stomach. No, he thought. Yes, Angelus thought. No way, Angel thought. He jumped out of bed and quickly put on his robe.  
  
"What are you doing?" Nina asked him, sitting up in the bed. He turned away from her. It didn't seem right to look at her now.  
  
"Getting dressed," he answered, "you should too."  
  
"But I want to-"  
  
"I'm not suggesting. Get dressed, and get out," he said quietly. Hurt, she flung the bedcovers back and grabbed her clothes.  
  
"Fine," she spat at him. He sighed, and looked at the ceiling. The door of his apartment slammed shut a few minutes later. He then removed his robe and got dressed.  
  
Buffy sighed, and put down the magazine she had been flipping through, and took a sip of her coffee. It was cold. Nina shut the door of Angel's office quietly behind her. She sighed, and wiped a lonely tear from her eye. Plastering a bright smile on her face, she raised her head. Suddenly, Buffy noticed the blonde woman just after exiting Angel's office. She stood.  
  
"Omigod, Nina?!" Nina looked in her direction, and her mouth dropped in disbelief. Then her face lit up with a smile. She nodded. Both girls shrieked loudly and ran to give each other hugs. When they pulled back, Angel was there, looking bewildered.  
  
"Angel?" they said simultaneously.  
  
TBC... Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and to Jokerisdaking, this will not be a spuffy fic. I'm B/A all the way! 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Power Play Author: Edel Email: no1buffyangelfanhotmail.com Summary: see other chapters... Distribution: my group: Girl In Question, Power Play  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Angel?" they said simultaneously. They both looked at each other, confused, then at Angel. He stood there, unable to speak for a moment.  
  
"Nina... how do you know Buffy?" Angel asked, bewildered.  
  
"Buffy?" Nina asked. "I don't know Buffy. Angel, this is Anne." She gestured to Buffy. Angel looked at Buffy.  
  
"Care to explain?" he asked. She sighed.  
  
"When I ran away to LA, after, well, you know, I changed my name to Anne in case anybody tried to track me down," she explained, unable to look at Angel.  
  
"Oh... right," Angel said, trying to take this in.  
  
"I met Nina when I started working in a diner with her, and... well, we became good friends. She was my only friend at that place," Buffy continued.  
  
"Wait, you changed your name?" Nina said, sounding lost.  
  
Angel took over the conversation. "Nina, I want you to meet Buffy, the vampire Slayer."  
  
"Where?" Nina asked, looking around her. Buffy waved her hand.  
  
"Um... here!" Nina's smile faded, and her mouth dropped slightly.  
  
"Anyways, Angel, where's werewolf girl?" Buffy asked, her voice cold.  
  
"What?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"Well, Harm told me that you were upstairs having sex with... you," she pointed to Nina. "It was you. You're werewolf girl." It all made sense now, why Nina sneaked out of Angel's office, and why both of them were looking guilty. "I don't believe this!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Well, how was I supposed to know the psycho boyfriend you ran away from was Angel?!" Nina said, trying to defend herself. Angel looked at Buffy.  
  
"Oh no mister, you're not gonna try to lay the blame on me," she snapped, and turned to Nina, "that was Angelus I was talking about. And don't tell me that Angel never told you about Angelus." Nina looked away. Hey! Angelus said in Angel's head. I am not a psycho!  
  
"Oh, shut up," Angel said to him aloud. Both women looked at him. "I wasn't talking to you." He turned to Buffy. "Can we talk in my office?" he asked, reaching for her arm. She slapped his hand away, hissing,  
  
"Don't touch me." He sighed, and followed her into his office, and shut the door behind them.  
  
"Sit down," he told her.  
  
"I'd prefer not to," she shot back. He sighed again.  
  
"You're not making this any easier, you know."  
  
"Aw, you poor thing," Buffy said sarcastically. She then sat on the sofa.  
  
"I didn't know she was your friend-"he started.  
  
"Ex-friend now." He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Will you let me finish?!" She examined her nails, pretending not to hear him. He continued.  
  
"I didn't even mean to sleep with her."  
  
"Ha! As if!" she said, then rose to her feet, and slowly approached him. "Are you telling me that you're clothes just happened to fall off and you were in the wrong place at the wrong time?" She stood in front of him, and gazed up with a sweet smile, and his heart leapt. The smile was quickly replaced by a scowl. "I'm not a fool, Angel." And she turned to leave.  
  
"Wait!" he said anxiously, grabbing her arm. "Please, hear me out." She sighed.  
  
"Fine." She returned to her previous spot on the sofa. He ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"I was drunk," he began. "I... I saw you dancing with The Immortal, plus Andrew told me you were with him. I was miserable last night. I wanted to call you so badly. But then I got drunk and then everything was a blur but I know Nina came up to my apartment, and I got into bed because I wasn't feeling good, and next thing I know, it's morning, and we had slept together. Please believe me." She sighed. She couldn't resist those sad puppy eyes.  
  
"Okay..." she said slowly. He smiled. He then went to call Nina into his office. She walked in quietly.  
  
"Listen, Nina, about last night," he began, "it was a mistake." Seeing the hurt look on her face, he hurriedly added, "it's not you, it's me. I was drunk last night. I shouldn't have let things go as far as they did. And I'm sorry for that. But all I wanted us to be was friends." Nina smiled weakly, and took a deep breath.  
  
"Friends. Okay, I can live with that." She turned to Buffy. "Buffy, I'm so sorry. Believe me, if I knew who he was, then I wouldn't have gone near him."  
  
"Yes you would," Buffy said quietly. Nina sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry, okay? Can you forgive me?" Buffy shrugged.  
  
"I don't think so". Nina saw that she wouldn't get any further with her for a while, and turned to leave. Then she stopped and turned around, her eyes wide.  
  
"Omigod! Was Angel the father?"  
  
TBC... Unfortunately, I won't be able to update this fic until at least this weekend, because the state exams start tomorrow. So, sorry to leave you hanging like this! 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Power Play

Author: Edel

Email: no1buffyangelfanhotmail.com

Summary: see other chapters...

Distribution: my group

Spoilers: Girl In Question, Power Play

Chapter 4

"Omigod! Was Angel the father?" As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, Nina gasped, and covered a hand over her mouth. Angel whipped his head to look at Buffy, who was staring at Nina, who held her gaze.  
  
"Omigod, I'm so sorry," Nina began.  
  
"Nina, get out," Angel interrupted.  
  
"I didn't mean to," she continued, her eyes pleading with Buffy.  
  
"Nina." Angel rose his voice a little louder.  
  
"I swear," Nina rambled on, unaware of the rage in Angel's eyes. "I didn't-  
  
"Nina!" Angel tore his eyes from Buffy as he roared at Nina. "Get. Out." He spat the last two words out. Nina seemed to cower under his murderous gaze. She slowly nodded, and backed out of the room, and closed the doors softly. Angel's gaze landed again on Buffy, who was inspecting her nails. He took a deep breath.  
  
"What did she mean, was I the father?" he asked quietly. When she didn't answer, his temper rose, as did his voice. "What did she mean?!" Buffy suddenly rose from the sofa and stood below him.  
  
"Don't you dare raise your voice to me," she hissed. "You have no right." She turned around, but he roughly caught her arm, and swung her into his embrace.  
  
"I have every right," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Let go of me!" She struggled to get out of his arms.  
  
"Not until you tell me what she meant!" He tightened his grip on her. Suddenly, she relaxed.  
  
"Fine," she replied in a tired voice. Immediately, he loosened his hold on her. She walked over to the window, and pressed her face to the cool glass. "How does this stuff work again?" she asked. He remained silent, and sat on the arm of the sofa, his arms crossed over his chest. She sighed, seeing he wouldn't let this go.  
  
"It was six years ago," she began in a soft, faraway voice. "I'm not sure how, but somehow on my 17th birthday, it happened." She took a deep, shaky breath, and continued. "At first, when I noticed my stomach getting bigger, I thought I was just putting on weight, because I had been eating a lot of comfort food. It didn't really bother me, because I figured that I'd shed the pounds by slaying. I was actually surprised that Angelus didn't notice or hear the baby's heartbeat. Though, the time I was ill, I think for a split second, he may have heard the heartbeat. But then Will, Xander and Cordy came, so I'd say he thought it was one of theirs. The weeks went by, and I gained more weight. When I came to LA..." she paused.  
  
"When I came to LA, I took a pregnancy test. It came back positive." She was silent for a moment, looking out onto the city, and the warm, sunny day. "I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even consider having an abortion, even though it was too late to have one by that time. I loved that baby so much." She choked back a sob.  
  
"One night, I was out walking back to my apartment, after getting some Cookie Dough Fudge Mint Chip ice-cream, which was my main craving. I was walking back to my apartment, when I came across this vamp attacking this girl. I got the girl to run, but the vamp took me by surprise, and he..." she stopped, as tears flowed freely and silently down her cheeks, "he kicked me in the stomach. All I could feel was pain. But all I could think about was is the baby alright? God, I was so afraid. Then, the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed. And I was told that they had operated, but... but they couldn't save our baby." She cried openly as Angel stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned and buried her head in his chest. He soothingly rubbed her back, while his eyes hardened. He vowed to himself there and then that he would hunt down the vicious creature that murdered his child. Buffy pulled back, her eyes puffy and her cheeks wet. She smiled sadly. He smiled back, and wiped a tear from her eyes. She took a deep, shaky breath and stepped out of his embrace.  
  
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" he asked quietly. She shook her head. Just then, Spike burst into the room. He stopped when he saw the scene before him.  
  
"Angel, mate," he began nervously, "Harmony told me that Buffy was telling you about what I did, and I just want to say that I didn't mean it, and that was before I got my soul-"  
  
"You!" Angel marched over to him, his eyes full of rage. "You killed my child?"  
  
"What?" Spike asked, surprised. "What are you on about? I'm talking about what happened between me and Buffy when-"He stopped suddenly when he noticed Buffy madly shaking her head. "You know what? That doesn't matter." He began backing out of the room, and when he was out of sight of Angel, began to run. Angel swung around to face Buffy.  
  
"What was he talking about?" he asked. Buffy looked at her hands. "Look at me!" he shouted. Her head rose, and she met his gaze, her eyes showing her fear. And suddenly he knew what Spike had done, and his eyes took on a murderous glint. He turned on his heel and ran after Spike. "SPIKE!" he roared, as he closed in on the bleached blonde vampire, who continued to run. Angel jumped on him, and began to beat him to a bloody pulp.  
  
"How dare you lay a finger on her!" he yelled, punctuating each word with a punch to Spike's face and stomach. Buffy rushed up, and tried to pull Angel off Spike.  
  
"Angel!" she pleaded. He snarled, and swung around and hit her and she flew to the nearest pillar and slumped to the ground. He stopped, watching her in horror.  
  
"Buffy," he whispered, as he rushed to her. She cautiously got up, backing away from him.  
  
"Get away from me," she whispered, hurt and shock evident in her voice. He reached for her again, but she backed away, and ran to the elevator. He ran after her, but was too late. He watched as she disappeared behind the doors, holding her unwavering gaze. The doors closed, and she slipped to the elevator floor, tears silently escaping from her eyes. Then, Angel slumped to the ground, and cried softly.  
  
TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Power Play

Author: Edel

Email: 

Summary: see other chapters...

Distribution: my group: . If you want it on your site, just ask!

Spoilers: Girl In Question, Power Play.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. Lyrics are Last Thing on My Mind by LeAnn Rimes & Ronan Keating.

Author's note: This is NOT the final chapter! There will be two different ending...

Chapter 5

Buffy stood and tried to compose herself as the elevator descended to the ground floor. She took a deep shaky breath, and forced herself to keep her tears inside. As the doors opened with a ding, she walked out, her back straight and her head high, praying that none of the doormen or receptionists noticed her puffy eyes. She hailed herself a cab, and told the driver to drive her to her hotel. As she blankly looked out the window, she noticed it had started to rain lightly. Once inside her hotel room, she tried to pack, but the pressure of keeping her tears inside was too much, and she began to cry once again.

Angel stared at the elevator doors, as if willing them to open and for Buffy to be on the other side. But still, they remained shut, as they had remained for the last several minutes. Suddenly, he felt a slender hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Nina.

"Get up," she commanded.

"Why?" he whispered.

"You're not gonna be able to get her just by staying on the ground," Nina told him, as she forced him to stand. "She's probably gone back to her hotel to pack, and she'll be on the first flight back to Rome soon if you don't do anything about it. I got Harmony to check, and the next flight for Rome is leaving in a few hours, so you don't have much time." He looked at her warily.

"Why are you helping me?" She shrugged.

"I don't know," she answered. "Maybe because I might feel a bit better if I help get the two of you back together again."

"I don't know where to start," he admitted.

"Well, you could start by maybe killing the thing that killed your child." His head shot up. "I know where the place is... where she was attacked," Nina admitted.

"Where?"

"Okay, you know that building that got burned down a few years ago, Angel... Investigations." Realization dawned in her eyes. "That was your... agency, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," he replied. "How did you know about that place?"

"Well..." she began, "Thanksgiving 1999, Buffy came to LA, she stayed at my place, and she asked me to bring her there." She was silent for a moment. "Hey! You're the reason she was so upset when I came to collect her afterwards!" His head shot up.

"Upset?"

"Yeah, upset," Nina said. "She wouldn't tell me why. But... when she was sleeping that night, she kept repeating, what was it?" She paused, trying to remember. "Oh yeah! 'I'll never forget, I'll forget'. It was weird, but when I asked her the next morning what was she dreaming about, she didn't remember."

"Then what?" Angel prodded.

"Then... well, then she went home. I didn't hear from her again until now, really," she told him. He processed this for a moment, and then a determined look crossed his face.

"So, the vampire, its nest was behind my old offices?" he asked. She nodded. He headed into his office, and opened up his weapons closet. He removed a medieval axe from it and shut the doors. Grabbing his leather duster, he headed towards the stairs heading towards the basement garage.

"Angel," Nina called. He paused in his actions. "Be careful," she said. He nodded curtly, and disappeared down the long flight of stairs.

The alley behind his old office was dark and quiet, too quiet, Angel thought to himself. He gripped his battle axe tighter and closer to him, as he crept silently through the dirty alley. He manoeuvred his way through the cardboard boxes and broken glass bottles that lay messily all over the alley. He felt something brush by his leg, and he realized it was a rat. Suddenly, there was an almost silent whisper of air, and he moved out of the way just in time to find several vampires had jumped into the alley from the high buildings. They circled him slowly, warily. He narrowed his eyes at them, then jumped into battle.

Dodging a punch from of the vampires, he kicked them in the stomach, and beheaded it with his axe. He was then kicked in the back and was sent flying into the hard brick wall. Growling, he morphed as he turned around.

"Now, that wasn't very nice," he said, as he began dodging blow after, and beheaded another two vampires at the same time. They shrieked as they turned to dust blowing in the cool night breeze. The other remaining three vampires growled as they realized he was a vampire like them.

"Hey, I know you," one of them, who appeared to be the leader, spoke up.

"Yeah, well, I know who I am too," Angel retorted.

"You're Angelus," the leader spoke again. "Hey man, I did you a great favour a few years back." This caught Angel's attention.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I killed that pesky Slayer's baby for ya," he boasted, laughing as he recalled that fatal night. Angel smiled mysteriously.

"You shouldn't have told me that," Angel advised him, as he slowed walked closer.

"Why not?" the leader asked uneasily.

"Well, first of all, I'm not Angelus, I'm Angel," Angel began.

"Angel! That souled vamp!" one of the other vampires interrupted. "You're that sod you kills our kind." Angel pondered, then swung his axe.

"You're right," he told the pile of ash. The other vampire began to run, but didn't get far as Angel grabbed a stake he had hidden inside his sleeve and flung at the vampire. The stake dropped noisily in the silent alley. The leader looked from the piles of dust to Angel, fear in his eyes.

"Anyways, where was I?" Angel asked. "Oh yeah. You remember that baby you killed?" He began walking closer and closer, the leader began backing up until his back hit the cold brick wall.

"Answer me!" Angel demanded, growling.

"Yes, I remember," the leader answered quickly, nodding his head.

"Well," Angel explained slowly, "that was my child." He finished with a cruel smile on his lips and a murderous glint in his eyes. The other vampire was left speechless.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry," he babbled, as Angel's eyes grew darker. "If I'd known-"

"You wouldn't have killed her, just so you could say you killed my mate?!" The vampires eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Angel cut him off. "Don't even bother denying it," he growled. "You know, you're lucky I've to go find the woman I love, or else I'd torture you for days on end. But I guess I'll just have to settle for this," he said, beheading the vampire. Wiping his hand, he heard someone clapping behind him. When he whirled around to see who was there, but the alley was empty. He sighed.

"It's late. I'm tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show yourself," he demanded.

"Good show," a soft voice said behind him, and he jumped. He turned around, but saw nobody. When, he turned around again, he jumped. There stood a young girl with blond hair and a smile across her beautiful face.

"Who are you?" he asked warily.

"That doesn't matter," she answered softly. "You must come with me now. It's urgent." She held out her small hand. He narrowed his eyes.

"I haven't got time for any bullshit," he growled. She sighed.

"Where we're going, time stands still," she told him.

"Who are you?" he asked again. She smiled mysteriously.

"Oh, just your link," she replied.

"To what?" he asked.

"The Powers That Be." She held out her hand once more. This time he grasped it, and immediately they disappeared, a bright white light shining for a moment after they left, then it evaporated.

He found himself in a large, white open space, alone. Then, the mysterious girl appeared beside him.

"Where are we?" he whispered.

"We're everywhere and nowhere," she answered. "The Powers requested that I bring you before them." Suddenly, a bright light appeared before them, and when that disappeared, two beings could be seen.

"May I present to you The Powers That Be," the girl announced. Angel looked at them.

"They're not The Powers, they're The Oracles," he told her.

"They got promoted," she replied.

"Oh."

"Vampire." The male spoke first. "Speech is as shallow as time, silence is as deep as eternity." Angel looked at the girl, confused.

"Huh?"

"He means shut up," she explained.

"We brought you here for a reason," the female said.

"And that is?" Angel enquired.

"Thou was not born for death immortal," she replied. He looked at her, confusion on his face. "You time is up," she told him.

"My time?"

"Yes. You have served your time as a demon," the male explained.

"You will revert to the way you were before-" the female began.

"Human?" he asked. She nodded.

"But, you will be blessed with supernatural abilities," she continued.

"You'll retain your strength and healing ability," the male said in a bored tone. Angel was silent.

"You may go now," the female said, approaching him. "Go find her. Be with her."

"How will I know where to find her?" he asked. She smiled.

"Look into your heart," she whispered. "Are you ready?" He nodded, unable to speak. She touched his cheek... and he found himself back in the alley. A determined look on his face, he set off.

While Angel had been fighting, Buffy had finally packed everything. She hailed a cab, and told the driver to drive to the airport. She realized it was 4am, only a couple of hours until her flight. As she looked out the window at the night sky, she heard the low voice of the DJ announce the next song. For some reason, she felt the need to hear that song.

"Turn up the radio," she told the driver. He complied. She continued to look out the window as the words off the song made different impacts on her.

Four o'clock in the morning  
My mind's filled with a thousand thoughts of you  
And how you left without warning  
But lookin' back I'm sure ya tried to talk it through

Her mind suddenly filled with memories of Graduation. She took a shaky breath, as the song continued.

Now I see it so clearly  
We're together but living separate lives  
So I wanna tell you I'm sorry  
Baby I can't find the words  
But if I could  
Then you know I would yeah yeah yeah

She began to realize that they were leading separate lives, and she had been with Riley and Spike, but for some reason, she hadn't expected Angel to move on. She didn't want him to.

No I won't let go, know what we can be  
I won't watch my life crashin' down on me  
Guess I had it all right there before my eyes  
Girl I'm sorry now, you were the last thing on my mind

She realized with a start that she didn't want to give him up, give up what they could be, give up what had always been in front of her the whole time.

You carried me like a river  
How far we've come still surprises me  
And now I look in the mirror  
Look in the mirror  
Starin' back is the man I used to

Be with you  
How I long for you

She remembered how far they came together. They always made it together. She wanted that back.

No I won't let go, know what we can be  
I won't watch my life crashin' down on me  
Guess I had it all right there before my eyes, yeah  
Girl I'm sorry now, you were the last thing on my mind

Girl I'm sorry (girl I'm sorry)  
I was wrong (I was wrong)  
Could've been there (could've been there)  
Shoulda been so strong  
So I'm sorry

No I won't let go, know what we can be  
I won't watch my life crashin' down on me  
Guess I had it all right there before my eyes, yeah  
Girl I'm sorry now  
Oh I'm sorry  
You were the last thing  
On my mind (on my mind)

I won't watch my life crashin' down on me  
Guess I had it all right there before my eyes, yeah  
Girl I'm sorry now, you were the last thing  
On my mind  
  
On my mind (on my mind)

Suddenly, she wanted to stop the cab and get out and walk down the long beach they were passing.

"Where are we?" she asked the driver.

"Santa Monica," was his gruff reply. Her breath caught, for some reason she didn't know.

"Stop. Stop the car," she commanded.

"Where?" he asked.

"Here. At this park. Could leave my bags back at Wolfram and Hart? Tell them they're Buffy's, and they should give you a big tip." She smiled as he agreed, and drove off. She turned, and took a deep breath. There was something about this park... she didn't know what. Walking through the park, she got a sense of déjà vu, although she could never recall being in the park. She gasped as images filled her head, of kisses in the sunshine and ice cream.

"I will remember you," she whispered, as she realized what she was remembering. She finally found steps leading down to the beach, and walked towards the water.

Angel was driving through Santa Monica when he heard the same song that Buffy heard, and he too had been lost in memory lane. Suddenly, he slowed the car as he got a tingling in his stomach. She was nearby. He realized he was near the park where they kissed on the forgotten day. He parked the car and looking around, saw nobody. Running through the park, the tingling became stronger. Then, he saw a lone figure on the beach, illuminated by the moonlight. It was her. Slowly, he descended the stone steps and walked towards her.

Buffy watched the waves crash against the shore, and was filled with the urge to dive under the water's surface. She felt him before she heard him.

"It looks so empty," he said as he stood beside her. She looked at him, holding her jacket closer, and looked out at the ocean again. "It's not though," he continued. "It's a whole other world beneath the surface. I should know," he finished sarcastically.

"It makes me want to dive into the water and not resurface," she whispered. She turned to him. "Angel, I remember."

"You remember," he murmured.

"Yes. It all... clicked into place when I got here." She turned to face the water again. "Why are you here?"

"Because I want to apologize. And I don't want you to go." She smiled.

"I'm not going. I heard a song, and I was reminded of all I could lose if I left again," she murmured stepping closer to him.

"I heard a song too," he whispered, stepping closer. "I also visited some higher beings." This caught her attention.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he murmured, as he stood behind her, and slipped his arms around her waist. "They told me my time was up as an immortal." She stiffened within his embrace, and turned to face him.

"What?" she asked. "What do you mean by that?" He didn't answer, only took her hand and placed it over his heart. She looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Its... it's beating," she gasped. Tears fell from her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. "Oh my God, Angel. Do you know what this means-" He placed a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"I love you. Let this be a time not for words." She smiled.

"I love you," she echoed softly, and kissing passionately, they sunk into the sand.

They slept together on the sand, holding each other, wrapped in a warm blanket that Angel had retrieved from his car. They began to stir as the sun began to rise. Buffy began to laugh softly.

"Your first sun rise in over two hundred years," she said aloud. He smiled.

"Buffy, I've something to ask you," he said nervously. She looked at him. He took a deep breath. "You know you're my whole world, right?" She looked at him nervously.

"Don't you even think of saying that we can't be together," she threatened. He smiled.

"No, I wasn't going to say that," he assured her. She smiled in relief.

"Buffy Summers, I've loved you since I first saw you on that sunny afternoon outside your school, and I'll still love you when I'm old and wrinkled." She giggled. "Would you make me the happiest man alive by marrying me?" She gasped, and tears formed in her eyes.

"Yes, of course!" she said. He smiled, and retrieved a small ring from his duster.

"My claddagh ring," she gasped softly.

"I found it on the floor of the mansion," he whispered. She looked up at him, and kissed him.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he echoed.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Power Play

Author: Edel 

Summary: see other chapters…

Distribution: my update group: Beautiful Desire, my B/A group: Blinded by Passion . If you want it on your site, just ask!

Spoilers: Girl In Question, Power Play.

Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately. Lyrics are From This Moment On by Shania Twain.

Author's Note: This takes place two weeks after chapter 5. It's the wedding day. Buffy and Angel had to wait a few days to be able contact Willow and another few days for her to arrive in LA. Also, about the big battle, all the members of The Circle of the Thorn were still killed like in "Not Fade Away", and Wes still died, Gunn didn't, and Illeryia disappeared after Wes died. Angel killed Hamilton, but W&H was NOT destroyed, and there was no morbid dramatic battle sequence like the one in "Not Fade Away". The Senior Partners were killed by the PTB. Angel kept the W&H building, and is going to reopen Angel Investigations. Also, Spike and Harmony turned human (Harmony helped in this version). I think that's all that needs to be said… oh! This is an alternate, fluffy ending, that I wrote for myself, because chapter 7, the real ending is… non-fluffy. That's all you'll get out of me!

A/N 2: This takes place the morning after Angel's stag night and Buffy's hen party…

Chapter 6 – The Alternate Ending

Angel's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he narrowed them at the harsh bright sun streaming through the windows of his Wolfram & Hart apartment. He tried to raise an arm to shield his eyes, but found both arms were being held down. He glanced down, and his eyes widened.

There was a blonde and a dark brunette in his bed! In his bed, the day he was getting married. Oh, Buffy was SO going to kick his ass for this. He roughly tugged both arms free from beneath their heads. His eyes narrowed as he realized that the person on his left had peroxide blonde hair…

"Aah!" he screamed as jumped out of the bed as fast as lighting, rousing the other two from sleep. He looked down at himself, and thankfully noticed he was wearing black silk boxers.

"Angel, what are you doing, mate?" Spike asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yeah, Deadboy," Xander said as he raised his head from the bed. Slowly, they both looked at the other speaking occupant of the bed. Their eyes widened, and they too screamed as they jumped out of the bed. Spike was also wearing boxers, Hawaiian ones at that, but Xander…

"Oh, god!" Angel groaned, looking away as Xander quickly took a pillow from the bed to hide himself from view.

"Do you normally sleep nude or was last night just for us?" Spike teased.

"Well, I used to sleep in boxers, but Anya used to like me to sleep nude, in case of emergency…" Xander trailed off, looking at the ground. There was a few moments silence, before Spike spoke again.

"You _do_ know that's Peaches favourite pillow you've got to your crotch, right?"

…

Buffy suddenly awoke when she heard the door of her father's house close softly, and someone walk into the kitchen. She quietly got of her sleeping bag, and climbed over the other sleeping girls sprawled over the living room floor in their own sleeping bags, and tried not to laugh at Harmony's unicorn sleeping bag. She crept into the kitchen, and sighed in relief when she saw who was there.

"Morning, Will," she greeted, hugging her best friend. Willow smiled, returning the hug.

"Morning," she replied. "Oh, sorry if I woke you, but that was the guy who was delivering the bridesmaid dresses, and I didn't want to strut down the aisle nude, so…"

"I'm sure Oz wouldn't mind," Buffy teased. A soft smile appeared on the redhead's lips, as she thought of the ex that she had reunited with in Istanbul over a month ago.

"Well, yeah, but we've decided to take things slow, and I don't think that would count as slow, you know?"

"I know," Buffy smiled back.

"Anyways, I finally get to see the colour of the bridesmaid dresses!" Willow added enthusiastically, and Buffy chuckled.

She had kept the colour of the dresses a secret, and only told Willow the colour wouldn't clash with her hair. Willow lifted the lid off the box with her name on it, and gasped. She carefully lifted the dress out of the box and held it to her. The dress was a pale pink, so pale you would think it was white. The bodice had a simple, yet beautiful design on it, and the skirt was down to her ankle. It was all made of silk. It was simple, yet elegant.

"I love it!" Willow told Buffy. Buffy grinned.

"Great! Now, you start the breakfast and I'll wake the others." She walked into the living room. She tore open the curtains.

"Are you trying to kill me Buffy?!" Harmony screamed, as she woke and tried to scoot into the darkest corner of the room. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"You're human now, remember?" she said.

"Oh yeah," Harmony said slowly. Buffy smiled, shaking her head.

"Five more minutes, B." Faith grumbled, turning on her side and snuggling into her sleeping bag. Buffy shook her head.

"In five minutes, you're all to be at that breakfast table, and we're leaving in two hours. For once, I am going to be early." With that said, she went upstairs.

"Figures the day she decides to be early is the day she can actually be late," Dawn muttered.

…

"My head!" Angel groaned. "Why did I let you make me drink so much last night?"

"Well, if it was up to me, you would have woken up with two strippers in your bed," Spike said. "And it's not as if we forced the drink down your throat!" He paused for a moment. "It's a good thing we didn't have any strippers, because Buffy would have cut off your-"

"There was one time you tried to pour the drink down my throat," Angel shot back. Suddenly, Xander stopped rooting around in the kitchen and placed a cup on the table in front of Angel.

"Don't ask what's in it, just drink it," Xander told him, and proceeded to make breakfast. Half an hour later, when breakfast was ready, Angel walked into the kitchen.

"Whatever that was Xander, it worked," he said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"It's a cure for hangovers I learned when I was a bartender," he told Angel. They soon finished their breakfast, and Angel noticed the time.

"We'd better be leaving soon, because I'm getting married in an hour," he warned.

…

"Buffy!" Dawn screeched. "C'mon, we haven't got all day!"

"I'm coming!" Buffy yelled from upstairs.

"She said that five minutes ago," Giles muttered.

"I'm ready," said a voice, and Dawn, Willow and Giles were drawn to the figure slowly descending the stairs.

Buffy wore a sleeveless Vera Wang wedding dress. The bodice was covered with tiny diamonds that sparkled when she moved. The skirt was big and had several silk layers and a long train that trailed behind her.

"So… what do you think?" she asked, a nervous smile on her lips.

"You look radiant," Giles said, planting a kiss on her cheek.

She smiled warmly at her former Watcher. She had missed Giles when he moved back to England, and had not got a chance to see him until now as he had arrived late last night and had stayed in a nearby hotel.

"Wow," Willow commented. "Good thing Angel can't lose his soul anymore or we'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble, and I'll go wait in the car now."

"I hope Angel knows how lucky he is," Dawn said to her, and followed Willow outside.

"Where is everyone else?" Buffy questioned.

"They left a while ago to go to the church," Giles replied. He looked at her for a moment. "How are you?"

"Truthfully, I'm so nervous I think I might throw up. I know I've no reason to be nervous, at least I hope I've no reason to be nervous, and I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Giles nodded, and guided her out of the house and down the path to where the white stretch limo was parked.

"You have no reason to be nervous, Buffy. You have the love of a man, a man you're going to marry. And you're going to be happier than you've ever been." She stopped outside the limo.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"How do I know what?"

"How do you always know the right words to say?" she answered with a smile. "Thank you."

She hugged him tightly for a few moments, and whispered "I love you" in his ear before stepping into the limo. Giles wiped his eyes for a moment, and then got into the limo also.

…

"Man, you gotta stop fidgeting," Gunn told the groom. "She's gonna be here."

"How do you know?" Angel asked, as he glanced around the crowded church.

"Because it's my duty as best man," he answered.

Angel sighed. He was so nervous. Everyone around him was talking quietly, including his other groomsmen, Oz, Xander, and after much begging from Spike and some from Buffy, Spike also. To his delight, Connor was also one of the groomsmen. Suddenly, the music started up, and his eyes flew to the now open doors.

The bridesmaids entered first, each carrying a small bouquet of pink roses. Harmony entered first, and smiled at Spike as she passed him, but his attention was on the next bridesmaid that was walking up the aisle. Faith smiled at Spike, and stood beside Harmony. Next was one of Buffy's friends from Hemery, Jennifer? He wasn't really sure on her name.

Dawn followed, who noticed Connor the same time Connor noticed her. Then Willow, the maid of honour, followed and she waved at Oz. He waved back. A gasp escaped from Angel's lips as he saw his bride. She was beautiful. When she saw him, a smile lit up her face. Suddenly, she was standing before him, and Giles was placing her small hand in his. The ceremony itself was a blur to him until he registered the priest saying,

"You may now kiss the bride." He slowly lifted her veil, and laid a feather-light kiss on her glossy lips. She smiled and passionately kissed him as the congregation burst into applause.

…

As they entered the Four Seasons hotel, Buffy noticed Oz chatting with Willow.

"Um, not to be rude, but shouldn't you be setting up with the Dingoes?" she asked Oz. He smiled.

"We got fired, but paid fully," he told her as Angel came up behind her and wrapped an around her waist.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Buffy asked him.

Before Angel could answer, Oz continued.

"No, he didn't. Here," he said, handing her a note, and walked away with Willow.

She opened it and read it aloud to Angel, as they slowly walked towards the banquet hall where their reception was being held.

"First of all, congratulations. I knew you two would make it. Second, as my wedding gift to you, I fired the Dingoes, but paid them with the PTB's money, and asked someone more… suitable to fill in. She'll only have time to perform a few songs, so I asked her to perform From This Moment On, You're Still The One, and You've Got A Way." As they opened the doors, they stopped when they saw who was onstage.

"In case you can't tell, it's Shania Twain," Buffy continued to read. "Have a great day, from your friendly neighbourhood link." Buffy looked up at Angel in confusion. "All I can say is huh?"

He smiled.

"She brought me before the Powers That Be," he explained.

A while later, everyone had eaten and witnessed Gunn as well as Xander make the best man's speech, and laughed at how Xander broke his glass from hitting it too hard with a knife. He then went on to say how he had been jealous of them at the start, but he always knew they'd end up together in the end. Then, the first few notes of the first song of the evening sounded softly in the air, and Angel stood.

"Dance with me?" he asked softly, holding out his hand to his wife. Buffy smiled, placing her hand in his, as he led them to the empty dance floor.

(I do swear that I'll always be there. I'd give anything  
and everything and I will always care. Through weakness  
and strength, happiness and sorrow, for better, for worse,  
I will love you with every beat of my heart.)

From this moment life has begun  
From this moment you are the one  
Right beside you is where I belong  
From this moment on

From this moment I have been blessed  
I live only for your happiness  
And for your love I'd give my last breath  
From this moment on

I give my hand to you with all my heart  
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start  
You and I will never be apart  
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live  
I will love you, I promise you this  
There is nothing I wouldn't give  
From this moment on

You're the reason I believe in love  
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above  
All we need is just the two of us  
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live  
I will love you, I promise you this  
There is nothing I wouldn't give  
From this moment  
I will love you as long as I live  
From this moment on

…

The limo stopped outside a darkened house at sunset, and Buffy raised her head from Angel's chest.

"Where are we?" she murmured, as they stepped out of the vehicle.

"Oh… about ten minutes outside of LA," he answered, as they walked up the concrete path. "We're pretty near the beach in Santa Monica too."

"Okay, why are we here?" she asked, as he removed a small set of keys from his pocket.

"Well, I just wanted you to see our new home…" he answered, as he opened the front door and switched on the light. She gasped.

"Oh Angel," she murmured, looking around the spacious foyer. She turned around and buried her head in his chest, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked. "If you don't like it, we can sell it, or-"

"Oh no, I love it," she assured him, pulling back.

"Then why the tears?" he asked. She wiped her eyes, and smiled.

"They're happy tears," she told him. "This has just been the happiest day of my life, and I owe it all to you." He smiled, and suddenly grabbed her in his arms. She gasped.

"What are you doing?" she murmured.

"Going to test out that bed in the master bedroom," he told her as he ascended the stairs.

The End… (Remember, this is only an alternate ending! Real ending will be posted shortly.)


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Power Play

Author: Edel

Summary: see other chapters…

Distribution: my update group Beautiful Desire, my B/A group:Blinded by Passion. If you want it on your site, just ask!

Rating: PG13-R

Spoilers: Girl In Question, Power Play.

Disclaimer: Lyrics are Everything I Do I Do It for You by Bryan Adams.

Author's Note: This IS the final chapter. It's the actual ending, sob. This takes place a month after chapter 5. Chapter 6 didn't happen (it was an alternate ending, remember?). Spike still became human, and Gunn and Wes died. Willow is working at W&H to find a way to bring Fred back. I'm not sure if Kate ever rejoined the police force, but in this fic she did. Also, MAJOR tissue warning!

Chapter 7 – The Joss Whedon Way

"I don't like surprises," she pouted. He smiled.

"Trust me, you'll like this one," he promised, as he continued to drive.

"Where are we?" she asked again. He sighed.

"If I wanted you to see where we were going, I wouldn't have blindfolded you, would I?" She continued to pout, and unable to resist, he leaned over and planted a kiss on her soft lips.

"Angel!" she whined.

"We're almost there," he assured her, and rolled his eyes. Buffy was so impatient.

"Where's there?" she asked innocently.

"Here," he answered, as he stopped the car outside their destination.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, as he helped out of the car, and guided her to the door of the two storey building before them. He unlocked the door and ushered her inside. He then took off the blindfold.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," he told her, and she did. She gasped.

"Oh, Angel," she murmured.

"You like?" he whispered in her ear.

"I love it!" she squealed, turning to hug him tightly.

"It's a two-storey house just outside of LA," he told her as they walked through the spacious foyer, and into a stylish living room, which led into a large, bright lit kitchen.

The other side of the house included a bathroom, a tastefully decorated study, and a room that could be used as a TV room or playroom. Upstairs, there were three guest rooms, one large bathroom, and a large master bedroom with its own bathroom.

"Angel, this is amazing," Buffy murmured.

"You still have to see one more room," he told her, as he led her out of the room, and to a closed door opposite the master bedroom.

"There's more?" she teased. He smiled.

"Close your eyes," he told her.

She obliged.

She heard the door open softly, and then Angel whispered in her ear. "Open your eyes."

She slowly opened her eyes, and gasped. The fourth guest room had been converted into a brightly lit nursery, with pale yellow walls, a beautiful white crib, a set of drawers, a changing table, and beautiful rocking chair. A large teddy bear with a red bow around its neck sat in the crib. Other small teddy bears and soft toys were strewn around the room. Buffy turned to face Angel, tears in her eyes. He smiled nervously.

"I converted into a nursery," he began, "so we'll be prepared when our first child is born."

She hugged him tightly. She pulled back, tears running down her cheeks.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," she whispered. He smiled.

"I'm making the final payment in a few days, but we can move in now, if you want," he told her. She smiled.

"I want," she said.

The smile quickly faded from her face, as she quickly asked, "The toilet is working here, right?"

Not giving Angel a chance to answer, she fled down the hall to the bathroom, her hand covering her mouth. Angel rushed after her, and found her emptying her breakfast in the toilet. He held her hair back from her face, and soothingly rubbed her back until the urge to throw up ceased. She smiled weakly as she rinsed out her mouth. Angel frowned.

"That's it, you're going to the doctor," he told her in a firm voice.

"No, I'm fine," she argued.

"You're not," he said. "You've been throwing up for about a week now, and you promised if it continued, you'd go to the doctor." She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine," she relented, throwing her hands in the air. He smiled, planting a kiss on her blond head.

…

A few hours later, Angel pulled up outside Doctor Bradley's office, and Buffy climbed in the car. She gave him a brief kiss on the lips, before he set off again.

"Well?" he asked.

"She took some blood to run some tests, and said she should have the results in a couple of days," she answered.

"Any idea what it could be?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Probably a bug," she replied absentmindedly, as they pulled up outside Wolfram & Hart to prepare their belongings to be moved to their new house.

_A few days later…_

Buffy awoke to an empty bed. She quickly showered, and went for a late morning jog. Arriving back at the house that would finally be theirs that day, she went about making herself breakfast. The shrill tone of her cell phone interrupted the peaceful silence in the sunny kitchen.

"Hello," she answered it, already knowing who was calling, even without the help of caller id.

"Morning beautiful," Angel said in a cheerful tone, as he sped down the freeway to his destination. Her smile brightened

"You do know it's almost midday?" she teased, as she glanced at the kitchen clock.

"Yeah, well, knowing you, you're only up," he teased back. She laughed.

"I'm making breakfast," she told him. "Where are you?"

"You're making progress," he said with a smile. "And I am on my way to the bank to a final payment for our house." She couldn't help the squeal that erupted from her lips. He laughed. She sighed.

"Thank you, Angel," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For making all my dreams come true." He smiled.

"Everything I do I do it for you," he said in a teasing voice.

She smiled.

They had chosen that song by Bryan Adams as the song they would first dance to as husband and wife at their wedding. He began to sing some of it to her softly in a surprisingly good voice. She smiled happily.

"Listen, you'd better go, or else you might have a crash, and I want you healthy for our wedding!" she said.

He laughed slightly.

"Okay, I love you," he told her.

"I love you too."

_Look into my eyes - you will see  
what you mean to me.  
Search your heart - search your soul  
And when you find me there  
You'll search no more_

_Don't tell me it's not worth trying for  
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for you  
You know it's true  
Everything I do  
I do it for you_

_Look into my heart you will find  
There's nothing there to hide  
Take me as I am take my life  
I would give it all I would sacrifice_

_Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for  
I can't help it there's nothing I want more  
You know it's true  
Everything I do -  
I do it for you_

_There's no love like your love  
And no other could give more love  
There's nowhere - unless you're there  
All the time - all the way..._

_Don't tell me it's not worth trying for  
I can't help it there's nothing I want more_

_I would fight for you  
I'd lie for you  
Walk the fire for you  
Yeah I'd die for you_

Angel pulled up outside the bank. As he waited in line to be served, the doors of the bank flew open, and two armed and masked men dressed all in black burst into the bank.

"Nobody move!" the shorter of the two shouted.

Angel's eyes darted between the men, the main doors, and a fire extinguisher hung on a nearby wall.

"Don't even think about it," the man hissed, pointing his gun at him, and disappeared behind the counter. Less than a minute later, he reappeared.

"You coming?" he asked his accomplice.

"In a minute," he said softly, speaking for the first time.

"I'm outta here," his partner in crime said urgently, and ran out the doors.

But Angel's attention was focused on the man approaching him. Suddenly, he withdrew his gun, and aimed it at Angel. Everyone else gasped, and stepped back.

"Any last words?" Angel narrowed his eyes, and widened them as he recognized the masked man's voice.

"You!" he exclaimed, growling.

"Yeah, me," the man replied, and pulled the trigger.

"Buffy," Angel murmured, as his world went black.

_You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you_

…

Buffy had been softly humming Everything I Do I Do It For You, when she suddenly doubled over in pain.

"Strange," she murmured, and resumed her household chores. A while later, the doorbell rang.

"Willow!" she greeted her best friend.

Willow had arrived back in LA after traveling the world for nearly a year, bringing someone with her. She had met Oz ironically where she said they might meet again, in Istanbul, but as she jokingly told Buffy, she wasn't old or blue-haired. Buffy smiled at the memory, but her smiled quickly faded as she noticed the expression on Willow's face.

"Will, what's wrong?" she asked.

Willow opened her mouth a few times, but was unable to form a sentence. Suddenly, a man and a woman that was strangely familiar appeared behind Willow.

"Miss Summers, may we come in?" the woman asked.

…

They were seated in the living room before Willow spoke.

"Buffy, I was heading to Wolfram & Hart, and they were there looking for you," she said, gesturing towards the two detectives.

"This is Detective Lee, and I'm Detective Kate Lockley," the woman said, gesturing to her partner.

"Kate used to know Angel," Willow told Buffy.

"Yes, he even saved my life," Kate said. Buffy smiled slightly.

"He has a tendency to do that," she murmured. "Why are you here?" There was a brief pause before Kate continued.

"Buffy, an armed robbery took place earlier this morning in a bank in downtown Los Angeles." Fear clenched Buffy in the gut. Kate paused before continuing. "Buffy, Angel… he was caught in the crossfire."

"What are you saying?" Buffy whispered.

"He's dead, Buffy," Willow said, tears falling silently from her eyes. "Angel's dead."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat.

_He's dead, dead, dead. Angel's DEAD._ Over and over this was repeated in Buffy's head. _No!_ She screamed in her head.

_He's not! I would know!_ A voice silently whispered to her in the back of her mind,_ But you _did_ know. You knew something wasn't right… _

She shook her head.

"No," she whispered. "No!" she screamed.

"Buffy," I'm so sorry," Kate said to her.

The phone rang just then, and Willow rose from the sofa to answer it. A minute later, she returned.

"Buffy, it's for you," she said, her hand covering the mouthpiece of the phone.

"We'll wait in the hall," Kate said, and Willow shot her a grateful look.

She closed the door behind them, and walked over to Buffy. She held out the phone. Buffy looked at her numbly, then at the phone, and then snatched it.

"Angel?" she whispered.

"Buffy, this is Doctor Bradley," she heard a female voice say.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I have your test results," she said. "Congratulations! You're pregnant."

The phone slipped from Buffy's grasp, and she backed away from it, shaking her head madly.

"Buffy?" Willow asked warily.

Buffy's head snapped up to meet Willow's concerned gaze, and she ran out of the room. She found Kate in the hallway.

"I need to see him, now," she said. Kate started to protest, but Buffy continued, "My heart won't let me believe what you say is the truth until I see him." Kate sighed.

"Fine. Do you want to tell Willow you're going?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Fine, let's go," Kate said, opening the front door. Willow had picked up the phone while they had been talking.

"Buffy?" Doctor Bradley asked.

"No, this is Willow," Willow told her.

"Is she okay?" the doctor asked her.

"No. She… she just found out her fiancé has been killed," Willow said.

"Oh god," she gasped. "I guess me telling her that's she's pregnant didn't help." Willow's eyes bulged.

"What?" she exclaimed.

Then, she heard a car pull out of the driveway.

"I gotta go, bye," she said, hanging up.

She walked out into the hallway.

"Buffy?" she called.

Silence greeted her.

"Shit," she cursed, and grabbed her car keys.

…

Buffy looked out the window as the car pulled up outside the bank. Several police cars were outside it, and there was a yellow police tape surrounding the building. The place was swarming with cops and detectives. Kate's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Buffy?" she called to her softly.

Buffy looked up at her.

"I'll have to check to see if you're allowed into the building, so stay here okay?" Buffy nodded slowly.

Kate gave her a quick smile, and she and her partner got out of the car. Buffy looked around her. Suddenly, a glint of silver on the dashboard of a police car nearby caught her eye. She got out of the car, and slowly approached the police car.

…

A few minutes later, Willow reached the bank. Spotting Kate, she rushed over to her.

"Where's Buffy?" she asked the blonde detective urgently.

"She's in my… car," Kate finished slowly as she caught sight of the empty car.

…

Buffy entered the bank slowly. A police officer guarding the bank saw her, and rushed over. Before he could speak, she punched him hard in the face, and he slumped to the ground, unconscious. She slowly approached the still body of her fallen Angel, and sank to her knees. Tears finally appeared in her eyes, as she laid his head in her lap.

"Angel, oh god," she choked out, cradling his pale face in her hands.

It was real. She could never recall him ever being this pale, even as a vampire. She wasn't going to wake up from this nightmare. Angel was dead. She sobbed loudly, her cries echoing noisily in the deserted building. She bent to kiss his lips. They were cold.

"Why did you leave me?" she asked him. She sniffed.

"We should be celebrating now, because you were gonna be a father." She smiled for a fleeting moment. "You would have been a brilliant dad."

She gently laid his head on the cold stone floor, and stood on shaky feet. She looked down at him.

"Don't worry baby, I'm coming to join you," she told him, raising the silver object she stole from the police car to her temple.

Closing her eyes, she pulled the trigger. The loud shot rang out in the building long after her body had slumped to the floor beside her Angel.

…

Willow's head shot up as a loud shot rang out in the air.

"No," she murmured.

"No!" she shouted, running towards the building, Kate and the rest of the police force on her heels.

…

_A few hours later…_

Willow returned to her apartment and ran into Oz's open arms. She sat looking out the window of their bedroom, watching the world fly by, as Oz entered. She looked up at him when he placed a steaming cup of hot chocolate in her hands. He said nothing, just waited for her to speak.

"I can't believe today has happened," she whispered.

"Me either," he said. "Do they know who did it?"

She shook her head.

He kissed her forehead, and left the room. Suddenly, a determined look crossed her face. She walked to her closet, and removed the necessary items for a locator spell.

…

_An hour later…_

A knock sounded on the motel door, and he opened it slightly, leaving the chain on. Seeing who it was, he removed the chain and opened the door all the way. Willow gasped.

"Who were you expecting to see Willow?" he asked quietly.

"Not… you," she answered.

After a brief pause, she spoke again.

"Can I come in?" He hesitated.

"Can I trust you?" She hesitated less than a heartbeat before nodding, and entered the cheap motel room.

…

She noticed clothes thrown messily on the bed and an open bag on the floor.

"Going somewhere?" she asked casually.

"Willow, why are you here?" he asked, disappearing into the bathroom. She followed him, leaning against the shut bathroom door.

"I know what you did," she told him in a soft voice. He froze, and slowly turned to face her.

"What do you mean-"

"Don't play dumb with me," she snapped, advancing towards him. "I performed a locator spell to find the murderer."

He was breathing in short pants as she continued.

"You're responsible for the deaths of three people that I love today, so obviously I'm out for a little vengeance," she told him in a soft, yet deadly voice, as she cornered him against a wall. Confusion crossed his face.

"Three?" he asked.

"Yeah, three," she answered. "You haven't heard?"

Not giving him a chance to respond, she continued, walking in a tight circle.

"Buffy killed herself, therefore also killing their unborn child in her womb. So, that adds up to three." He gasped.

"A… a baby?" he murmured.

"Yeah. Buffy found out just after she found out about Angel," she said. "She didn't even get to tell Angel he was gonna be a father, and he even had converted one of their spare rooms in their new house into a beautiful nursery."

She paused, and laughed bitterly. "Ironic, huh?"

Seeing his chance, he ran towards the door, but was found he couldn't open the door.

"Now now, none of that," she said, wagging her finger.

"Now, I think it's time to even the scores a little, don't you?" she sneered, a deadly glint in her eyes. He sank to his knees.

"You said I could trust you!" he accused.

She paused.

"Hmm… I guess I did," she said to herself, and he visibly relaxed.

She shrugged.

"Oh well."

His eyes widened. She pulled the trigger, and the bullet silently found its way to his heart. He was dead in an instant.

As she stepped over his dead corpse, she spoke, "I lied."


End file.
